Means for attaching seals to packing-cases.



l S. STROH.

MEANS POR ATTAOHING SEALS T0 PACKING GASES.

APPLIOATION FILED ssn. 24, woe. 977,342. IPatented Nov. 29, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

la mlwlllllllwxitrdhlllllll ATTORNEYS S. STROH. MEANS FOR ATTAGHING SEALS To PACKING GASES.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1909.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IWT/VESSES ,U70/mens 1HE Nbams Ps1-Eres 50 WASHINGTON, n. c,

'UNITED STATES PATENT FFCE.

SIGMUND STROH, OF LONDON, ENGLAND,

MEANS FOR ATTACHNG SEALS T0 PACKING-CASES.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIGMUND STROH, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of 30 Allerton road, Lordship Park, London, N., England, merchant, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Means for Attaching Seals to Packing-Gases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to seals for packing cases, and has for its object to provide improved means for attaching the same.

Packing cases have hitherto been secured closed by clamps in the form of a U-shaped piece of metal, which is driven into the lid, and side of the packing case and secured in place by a pin driven through the case and through the two arms of the U-shaped piece of metal. Such clamps have been attached by first placing in position and driving in each U-shaped piece of metal and then each pin. Sealing wax has also been used for securing packing cases, but owing to the brittle nature of the wax, the seals are very frequently broken or entirely7 removed when the cases are handled.

The usual form of clamp is as above set forth, a U-shaped piece of metal. l/Vhen such clamps are plain on the outer surface or are embossed in a manner common to clamps which can be obtained by anyone, they possess the disadvantage that any unauthorized person can remove the clamp and replace it with a similar one. For greater security the clam-ps used with this invention are embossed in any particular manner so as to form seals. For instance, by embossing with the name of a firm or its trade mark.

According to this invention a strip of metal cut and shaped to forni a supply of seals connected together by narrow necks of metal, is automatically fed through the device and a stock of pins is so arranged that after each operation a fresh seal and aI fresh pin are in position for use.

One form of device constructed in accordance with this invention is provided with a supply of seals in the forni of a coil, the strip of metal being flat except at the embossed -part which forms the actual seal. The device is also provided with a pair of spring-pressed plungers one of which is adapted when struck, to bend each seal successively into the U-shaped forni and t-he Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 24, 1909.

ratented'nov. sa, 1910.

serial No. 519,464.

blow, to engage the back of the strip of metal and to force a seal into the packing case, simultaneously shearing off the necks or parts of the necks of metal by which the seals are held together in the strip. The return stroke of these spring-pressed plungers operates a pawl and feeds the strip through the device so as to bring another seal into position to be bent to the U-form, and the seal bent by the last stroke into position to be driven into the packing case. The device is also provided with a magazine to contain pins, which are successively and automatically brought into position to be driven into the Ipacking case and through the seal, by an adjustable spring-pressed plunger act-ing at right angles to the first named plungers.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of one form of device constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation and F ig. 3 is a,

plan thereof. Fig. t is a plan and Fig. 5 a sectional elevation of a detail. Fig. 6 is a face view of a strip of seals used with this form of device. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a modified form of vdevice constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 8 is a plan thereof. Fig. 9 is a part plan showing the operation of a detail. Fig. 10 is a Aface view of a strip of seals used with the modified form of device. Fig. ll is a section on line X-X, Fig. l0. Fig. l2 is a sectional elevation on an enlarged scale showing the operation of the device; Fig. 13 is a section of the device shown in Fig. 12, drawn on a line A-A, and Fig. 14 shows the pin.

The form of device shown in Figs. l to 5, is provided with a supply of seals in the fiat form shown in Fig. 6, and is adapted firstly to bend each seal successively into U-shape; secondly, to advance the supply of seals so as to bring the next seal into bending position and the bent seal into driving position, and thirdly to drive the bent seal into its final position, said driving taking place at the same time as the adjacent seal is bent as hereinbefore set forth as the first operation. The device is also provided with a supply of pins and means for driving said pins, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

fr is the body of the device in which is slidably mounted a plunger o which is bifurcated as shown in Figs. 3 and 4t, the arm c being adapted to bend a seal and the arm CZ being adapted to drive a bent seal into its other is adapted, when struck by the saine final position, when the plunger Z) is struck on its head e. The seals f (Fig. Glare formed from a strip of metal stamped so that said seals are connected by narrow necks of metal g, and each seal j' has acentral part and two projecting tongues /L, 7i, the central part being suitably embossed. Hrs will be seen from Fig. 3, the strip of seals is fed to the device along` a grooved guide and passes through the body z of the device in front of the two arms c, d of the plunger e, said strip being advanced by a pawl 7J, the action of which will be hereinafter set forth.

rlhe tool formed by the arm c of the plunger ZJ is gapped as at m, to constitute a female member adapted to pass over a male member n. forming part of the body a, and in so doing to bend the projecting tongues 7L /L of the seal j from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 to the position shown in full lines. The driving tool formed by the arm d of the plunger is suitably recessed at j?, in order to prevent damage to the embossed part of the seal ln when the plunger o is struck the tool (Z drives a bent seal into its final position and the tool c simultaneously bends the adjacent seal into U-form.

The pawl 7J is pivoted at r to a lever s, having its fulcrum at in lugs in one with the body a. The opposite vend of the lever s is adapted to be moved into a recess u in the arm c of the plunger b, by a spring (not shown) so that during part of the return stroke of said arm7 motion is imparted to said lever s and is transmitted to the pawl 1, which engages between two adjacent seals and feeds forward the supply. The pawl 7.: is provided with a spring e and a pin lw engaging a guide a3, to direct said pawl as it engages the seals, and a spring-pressed stop y is provided to engage between adjacent seals and holds them in proper position.

rlhe modified form of device shown in Figs. 'T to 9, is provided with a supply of seals shown in Fig. l0, previously bent to tlshape as in Fig. 1l, and is adapted to advance the seals into driving position and to drive the seal into its final position, said driving taking place on the forward stroke of a slidable member and the advancing ot' the adjacent seal into driving position taking place on the backward stroke of said slidable member.

Both forms of the device are provided with a supply of locking pins and means for driving said pins, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

Referring to Figs.v 8 and 9, within the hollow body l5 is slidably ,mounted the plunger lil, the extremity 16 of which is suitably recessed as at 1T in order to prevent damage to the center part of the stal when the seal is driven into its final position by striking the head 18 of the plunger 14..

The seals 19 (Fig. 10) are formed from a strip of metal and stamped so that said seals are connected by narrow necks of metal 20, and are bent into U-shape (shown in Fig. l1) before being introduced into the device.

as will be seen in Fig. 8, the strip of seals is fed into the device along a guide 2l, passing through an opening 22 into the body l5 of the device, each seal being held in front of the plunger let till the forward stroke of said plunger shears oif the seal in position shown in Fig. 9 in dotted lines, and drives said seal into its final. position. On the return stroke of the plunger, the sueceeding seal is advanced into the body of the device by means of a pawl L as hereinbefore setforth. Both forms of the device described are provided with means for preventing seals driven into position, from being withdrawn, said means consisting in driving a pin through both arms /t-/z of the seal.

The pin driving mechanism and the magazine containing said pins, will be described with reference to Fig. l2, wherein 223 is the body of the magazine disposed parallel to the seal driving plunger, Q4 being a removable cover to enable the pins to be inserted into the magazine.

rthe pins 25, preferably of tapered and barbed form and rectangular in cross-section as shown in Fig. lst, are inserted in a narrow channel QG (Fig. 13) provided in the body 23, and are forced under a vertically disposed plunger 2? which will be more fully described hereinafter.

rilhe pins are pressed forward against ridges B3, PA forming the end of the channel under said plunger, by means of a springpressed plate QS, slidably .mounted within the channel 2G, and held to the removable cover Q4 by means of a pin 29 sliding within a slot 30 in said plate. The removable cover -t is secured to the body of the device by means of a stop 3l and a spring-pressed button 32 engaging holes therein. The nin driving plunger 2T disposed vertically over the driving position, and is slidably mounted within an adjustable member 35 provided at its lower extremity with a presser foot 3G, the position of said member being adjusted and secured relatively to the body 23 of the device by means of a nut S7. engaging the threaded upper extremity of said member as at 38, and held to the body 23 by a hook projection 37a on said body engaging a groove 3T" in said nut. The member is provided with flat surfaces to prevent its rotation within the body 2S. rlhe pin driving plunger 2T, preferably of square of rectangular form in cross section, is slidably mounted in a groove 39 of identical form in cross section provided in the adjustable member 35, said plunger being provided at its upper extremity with a head l0, and at its lower extremity with a lip 0a.

rl'he length of the downward stroke of the plunger QT is adjusted by means of a distance nut -l-l, provided on the upper eXtremity of the threaded portion 38 of the adjustable member 35, said downward stroke being arrested b v the upper face of the nut 41 coming into contact with the bottom face l2 of the head 40.

A cushion spring l, concentric with the pin driving plunger 2T, is mounted within the adjustable member 35. rlhe pin driving plunger 2T is adjustably connected to the seal driving plunger placed horizontally thereto, by means of a rod -ll (Fig. l) secured by any known means to the head l0 and adapted to slide within a slot 45, provided in one arm -lG of a bell crank lever fulcrumed at r-lT. The other arm 1S of said bellcrank lever is also provided with a slot 49, engaged by a pin 50 secured to the seal-driving plunger said pin passing through a slot 51 provided in the body c of the device.

ln working the device and presuining the magazine is filled with pins and that the seals are also in position, the device is first adjusted according to the thickness of the cover 52 (Fig. 1Q) of the box, by adjusting the height of the presser foot B6 by means of the nut 3T. The seal-driving plunger is then sharply struck on its head and the forward stroke thereof drives the seal into position as shown in Fig. l2, and in the form of device shown in Figs. l to 5, bends the adj acent seal. A spring-pressed button 53, is provided in the body of the device to hold each seal as it is fed into position to be driven. The forward motion of the seal plunger will raise, by means of the bell-,crank lever, the pin-driving plunger 2T, allowing a pin to come under said plunger. The device is then struck a second blow on the head 40 of the pin driving plunger, and the downward motion of the said plunger will drive the pin into the box and through the seal as shown in Fig. l2. The downward motion of the pin driving plunger will impart backward motion (by means of said bell-crank) to the seal driving plunger. As will be clearly seen. the bell crank lever prevents both the said plungers from being worked at the saine time and on the backward stroke of the seal driving plunger, advances by means of the seal supply advancing mechanism. the supply of seals for the next operation.

By means of such a device the seals can be rapidly and accurately fixed.

The pin-driving plunger is provided with a lip 40a so as to force the pins below the surface of the packing case so that the case can only be opened by breaking the seals, and if desired holes may be provided in the tongues /zy /z of the seals to receive the pins.

Claims. Y

l. Means for sealing packing cases coinprising means for auto-matically feeding through a device a supply of seals consisting of a strip of metal cnt and shaped to form a series of seals connected together by narrow necks of metal, means in said device adapted to separate and drive said seals individually, means for driving pins from a stock, and means for bringing a fresh seal and a fresh pin into position for use after each operation.

2. Means for sealing packing cases comprising means for automatically feeding through a device a supply of seals consisting of a strip of metal cut and shaped to form a series of seals connected together by narrow necks of metal, means in said device adapted to bend such seal into a U-shape, means in said device adapted to separate and drive said seals individually, means for driving pins from a stock, and means for bringing a fresh seal and a fresh pin into position for use after each operation.

3. Means for sealing packing cases comprising a plunger adapted to be reciprocated and adapted to drive a seal on its forward stroke, a feeding pawl operatively connected to said plunger', said plunger being adapted to operate said feeding pawl on its return stroke, a second plunger arranged atright angles to said first plunger, said second plunger being adapted to drive a pin through said seal, substantially as set forth.

4l. Means for sealing packing cases comprising a plunger adapted to be reciprocated and adapted to drive a seal on its forward stroke, a feeding pawl operatively connected to said plunger, said plunger being adapted to operate said feeding pawl on its return stroke, a second plunger arranged at right angles to said first plunger, said second plunger being adapted to drive a pin through said seal, and means for automatically bringing a pin into driving position, substantially as set forth.

5. Means for sealing packing cases comprising a plunger adapted to be reciprocated and adapted to drive a seal on its forward stroke, a feeding pawl operatively connected to said plunger, said plunger being adapted to operate said feeding pawl on its return stroke, a second plunger arranged at right angles to said first plunger, said second plunger being adapted to drive a pin through said seal; a bell crank lever connecting said first and second plungers, substantially as set forth.

6. Means for sealing packing eases comprising a plunger adapted to be reciprocated stroke, a feeding pzuvl operatively connected ond plunger being adapted to drive a pin to said plunger, said plunger being adapted through said seal, substantially :1s set forth. to operate said feeding pawl on its return SGMUND STROH.

stroke; a tool integral with said plungenj said tool being adapted t0 bend said seals into U-shape; a second plunger arranged at g und adapted to drive a seal on its forward I right angles to said first plunger, said sec l l Witnesses GEORGE E. MINTERN, VILLIAM DAvIns. 

